Means for controlling and locking railway appliances.



We. M 0359. Patented Jan. 2, I900. P. BUURE. MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ANDLOCKING RAILWAY APPLIANCES.

(Application filed Aug. 6, 1897.

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Modei.)

Fi .21 F m 9 I mull w W 1N0. $40,359. Patented Ian. 2, I900. P. BUURE.

WEFAWS F95 CONTROLLING AND LDCKH'QG RAILWAY APPLIANCES.

(Application filed Aug, 6, 1897. (No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 2.

N0. mmae. Patented Jan. 2, law. P. BOURE.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING AND LOCKING RAILWAY APPUANGES.

(Application filed Aug. 6, 1897.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

N V A? n F .7

Z Z W%(@@%j mg Nmmvs PETER) co, Pnorovumn WASHINGTON u c.

No. 6%,359. Patented Ian. 2, I900. P. BOURE.

IIIIEANS FOR CONTROLLING AND LOCKING RAILWAY APPLIANCES.

(Application filed Aug. 6, 1897 (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Tue NORRIS yum; c0 VHOTQLITHDH WASHINGTQN. n. c.

PAUL BOURF, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

Wl FANS FUFl HDNTROLUNG AND LOCKING RAlLWAY APPLIANCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,359, dated January2, 1900.

Application filed August 6, 1897.

To aZZ 1071,0722, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL BOURF, a citizen of France, residing at 20Boulevard Diderot,

Paris, France, have invented a new Means for Controlling and LockingRailwayAppliances, (forwhich I have obtained a patent in France, No.238,803, bearing date May 26, 1894; in Belgium, No. 112,772, hearingdate November 20, 1894:; in Spain, No. 16,628, bearing date November 26,1894;; in Italy, No. 37,687, bearing date December 31, 1894; in Germany,No. 90,827, bearing date February 21, 1895, and in Austria, No. 2,086,hearing date June 11, 1895,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to realize simply and economically thatsolidarity which should exist among the signals, points, and otherappliances of a railway-station in order that any-collision betweentrains, engines, or wagons may be rendered materially impossible.

This invention consists, first, in the fixing in the position desired ofsignal-levers, point-levers, and all other appliances by means of anarrangement composed of two pieces fitting one another, fastened the oneto the lever and the other to a stable object and fitted the one with alock for two keys and the other with a key of this lock, the second keyof the same lock, called the key of the lock, being independent of thepieces; second, in arranging the aforesaid lock in such a manner thatwhen the key (the one independent of the pieces) is withdrawn from thelock the two pieces of the arrangement are inseparable from one anotherand that when these pieces are separated from one another the key isfast in the lock, and, third, in making use of a special lock, calledthe central lock, in which the keys of the lever-locks may be inserted,this special lock being arranged in such a way as to establish amongthese keys the relationships necessary for the realization of therequired solidarity among the levers.

Figure 1 represents a signal-lever, and Fig. 3 a point-lever, fixed inthe aforementioned conditions. Figs. 2 and 4 represent the same leversin their other positionthat, namely, in which they are free. A piece Ris riveted onto the lever L, and another piece G in the form of a crampis fastened by the chain H Serial No. 647,829. (No model.)

to the sleeper T on which the lever is fixed. The chain H is of such alength that when the piece G is fastened in the piece R the lever cannotbe moved from the position it occupies. The chain H may be fixed in anyway whatever to the sleeper '1 or to any other stable object. Figs. 1,2, 3, and 4 show it riveted to an iron plate, which is itself fixed tothe sleeper T by means of two screws that have a long rivet traversingboth their heads to prevent them from being unscrewed. The iron plate Aonto which the chain is riveted is represented by Figs. 5, 6, and 7.

The pieces R and G are represented united by Figs. 5, 6, and 8 andseparated by Figs. 9 to 11 and 12 to 14.. Fig. 5 represents the sideview, Fig. 6 the elevation, and Fig. 8 the section by E F, Fig. 5, ofthe two pieces R and G united. Fig. 9 represents the elevation, Fig. 10the section byA B, Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 the section by C D, Fig. 9, ofthe piece B. Fig. 12 represents the side View, Fig. 13 the elevation,and Fig. 1a the top end view, of the piece G and the lock S, which isriveted to it.

The piece R, Figs. 9, 10, and 11, permanently fixed onto the lever L,Figs. 5 and 6, by means of the rivet I, Fig. 5, has two little windowsor mortises m m, Figs. 9 and 11, and is fitted with a key K, Fig. 10.The key K can slide longitudinally in the keyhole in which it iscontained, so as to be free to have its key-bit either within the pieceR or with outit; buta catch Q, Figs. 9, 10, and 11, prevents it frombeing withdrawn from the said keyhole. The key K is thus inseparablefrom the piece R.

The piece G consists of a plate p, Figs. 12, 13, and 14, fitted with twoappendices or tenons t n t n, hooked at their extremity at. 011 theplate 1) and on the side of it opposite to the tenonsi a is riveted alock 8, in which, as we shall see, the key K of the piece R may beinserted by a keyhole situated directly opposite the opening a, Fig. 13,that has been contrived in the plate 19.

By placing the piece G, Figs. 12 and 1 1, face to face with the piece R,Figs. 10 and 11, after having, if need be, slid the key K from right toleft, Fig. 10, so as to make it enter entirely into the piece It, thetenons t a t a may be inserted in the mortises m m Fig. 8.

of the piece R, so that the plate 19 may be applied to this piece R. Thepiece G, Fig. 8, may then be moved in the direction of the arrows ff inFig. 8, so as to give the tenons t n t 'n. that position in the mortiseswhich is indicated by Fig. 8. In this position of the piece G, and inthis position only, the keyhole a, Fig. 13, is directly opposite the keyK, and this key after passing through the plate 10, Figs. 12, 13, and14, can be inserted in the lock S, Fig. 8.

When the key K is in the lock S, it prevents the piece G from beingmoved in the direction opposite to that of the arrows ff in The littlehooks an cannot therefore be brought back face to face with the mortisesm m, and it becomes impossible to separate the piece G from the piece R,Fig.

-8. Thus so long as the key K is in the lock S the lever L, Figs. 1, 2,3, 4, 5, and 6, is necessarily fixed. Consequently for thislever L toremain fixed in the position in question all that is required is that itshould be impossible to withdraw the key K from the lock S. This resultis obtained by means of a second key 0, Figs. 5, 8, 12, 14, and 16,which is introduced into the lock S on the side opposite to the piece G.The lock S establishes such a solidarity between the keys K and C thatwhen one of these keys is withdrawn from the lock the other isnecessarily fast in it. Fig. 15 represents the exterior view of the lockS. Fig. 16 shows the interior mechanism of this lock. Fig. 17 representsa section by O D, Fig. 16, and Fig. 18 a section by A B, Fig. 16. Fig.19 represents the elevation, and Fig. 20 the side view, of the cover ofthe lock S.

When the lock S is riveted to the piece G, the cover is against thispiece. In this lock the keys K and 0 work each of them a bolt. Themechanism corresponding to each bolt is that of an ordinary lock. Thebolts P and Q, Fig. 16, worked, respectively, by the keys K and O, areset at right angles to one another.

In the part where they cross their thickness is reduced by half. Theturning movement of the keys is limited in the case of the key K by thestop d, Fig. 16, and in the case of the key 0 by the stop 8, Fig.16. Thebolt P has a notch g, into which the catch it of the bolt Q may enter.

Fig. 16 represents the bolt P in the position it occupies when the key Kis withdrawn from the lock. The bolt Q cannot then be moved downward,for the notch g is not face to face with the catch h, and consequentlythis catch is stopped by the bolt P. The result is that thecorresponding key Cis fast in the lock, for its key-bit cannot bebrought face to face with the opening I), through which it can bewithdrawn, because if we try to turn the key in one direction or theother the said key-bit is stopped on one side by one of the toes r ofthe bolt Q, which cannot move, and on the other side by the stop e. Thuswhen the key K is withdrawn from the lock S or can be withdrawntherefrom the key 0 is necessarily fastin it. If, the key K being putinto the lock S, it is turned therein, the bolt P moves from left toright, Fig. 16, and thenotch g comes face to face with the catch h ofthe bolt Q. Then on turning the key O this bolt Q moves downward, itscatch h entering into the notch g, and the key 0 can be Withdrawn fromthe lock; but then the key K is fast in it, for if we try to turn it tobring it face to face with the opening it its key-bit is stopped on oneside by the stop 01 and on the other by one of the toes s of the bolt P,which cannot move from right to left, because the catch h of the bolt Qoccupies the notch G, wherefore when the key 0 is withdrawn from thelock S the key K is necessarily fast in it. From this relationshipbetween the keys K and C it results, in accordance with what haspreviously been said, first, that the lever L will remain fixed so longas the key 0 shall be out of the lock S, since the key K will then befast in it, and, second, that when the lever L is removed from theposition in which it may be fixed, which can only take place if the keyis withdrawn from the lock S, the key 0 will be fast in the lock S.

I will give the name of fixed key to the key K which isinseparable fromthe piece R, and the name of independent key or simply key to the key 0.

The piece R instead of being riveted onto the lever L may be attached toit by a chain or by any other organ of connection.

Instead of attaching the piece containing the key to the lever and thepiece fitted with the lock to a stable object it is possible to proceedinversely.

The form given to the piece It and the form given to the piece G may,moreover, be modified if in certain cases it be necessary. It sufficesthat they should so fit one another that when they are united it isimpossible to move the lever from the position it occupies. This beingstated, let us consider astation at which the lines are arranged, forexample, as indicated in Fig. 21. Each line on the figure represents arailway-line. Lines I and II are the main lines, on which the trainscirculate. Lines III, IV, and VI are the sidings. I propose to establisha solidarity among the signal-levers and pointlevers of this station insuch amanner that it may be impossible for a train, an engine, or somewagons to pass from a siding onto a main line I or II unless the signalsof this latter are at danger. In order to do so, I supply thesignal-levers a b arrangement I have just described, enabling me to fix,first, the signal-levers a and b, l1ne I, and c and (1, line II, in theposition they occupy when the signal is at dangem second, thepoint-levers (5D, (7), and

6;) in the position they occupy when these points do not give access tothe main lines I and II; third, the point-levers (D,

@, and in the position they levers and giving access to line I.

I will designate by2 the locks of the pointlevers and giving access toline II.

I will designate by 1-2 the locks of the point-levers Q), (19, and

@, giving access to the lines I and II.

Iwill likewise designate by S the key (key O'in the description) of thelock S, by S the key of the lock S by 1 the key of the lock 1, by 2 thekey of the lock 2, by 1-2 the key of the lock 12, these keys S, S 1, 2,and 1- naturally differing from one another. Then, to obtain therequired result, I establish a solidarity between the keys S S and thekeys 1 2 l-2 by means of a central lock in which, first, the keys S arefast when the keysl or the keys l are withdrawn from it, and inversely,and, second, the keys S are fast when the keys 2 or 1-2 are withdrawnfrom it, and inversely. This solidarity between the keys S and the keys1, for example, is, moreover, realized in the central lock in the samemanner as the solidarity between the keys K and O in the lock of the Stype in the above-described fixing arrangement.

Let us therefore consider the central lock. (Represented by Figs. 22,23, and 2 1.) Fig. 22 represents the exterior view, and Fig. 23 theinterior view, of the lock. Fig. 24 represents the section of the lookby A B. Each of the two keys S is fast in it when any one whatever ofthe keys 1 is withdrawn from it, and, inversely, each of the two keys 1is fast in it when anyone whatever of the keys S is withdrawn from it.The bolts Worked, respectively, by the keys S and by the keys 1 are setat right angles to one another. They are fitted with catches f and 7t.On the other hand, the turning movement of the keys is limited in thecase of the keys S by the stops (1 and in the case of the keys 1 bythestops 6.

In the position of the mechanism represented by Fig. 22 the keys S canbe withdrawn from the central lock. The catches f of the bolts worked bythe keys S are face to face with the catches 72. of the bolts worked bythe keys 1. These latter bolts cannot, therefore, move, and consequentlythe keys 1 are fast in the central lock. It is impossible, in fact, tobring the key-bits of these keys 'cupying the main lines.

face to face with the openings through which they can be withdrawn, forif we try to turn them they are stopped 011 the one side by the stops 6and on the other by one of the toes r of the corresponding bolt. Thuswhen a key S is withdrawn or can be withdrawn from the central lock thekeys 1 are necessarily fast in it.

If we turn the keys S in the central lock, the bolts which they workmove from right to left, and their catches f are no longer face to facewith the catches h of the bolts worked by the keys 1. Then on turningany one whatever of these latter (keys 1) we move its bolt downward, thecatches 7t passing to the right of the catches f, and we can withdrawthe key from the lock; but then the keys S are fast in this look, for ifwe try to turn them their key-bits meet with the stops d on the one handand on the other one of the toes s of the corresponding bolt, whichcannot move, because one of its catches f is stopped to the right by thecatch it of the bolt of the key in question. Therefore when a key 1 iswithdrawn or can be withdrawn from the central lock the keys S arenecessarily fast in it.

On examining Fig. 23, it will be seen that the same relationship existsbetween the keys S and the keys 1-2, and also between the keys S on theone hand, and the keys 2 and 12 on the other.

Instead of working bolts perpendicular to one another the keys S and1,heretofore taken into consideration, might work parallel bolts. Itwould be sufficient to attach a perpendicular bolt to the bolt of eachof the keys S by means of a rectangular piece.

The keys S, S 1, 2, and 1-2 are represented in Fig. 25 with the fixedkey K, which is the same for all the locks.

The relationships established by the central lock among the keys S, Sand 1, 2, 1-2 are sufficient to insure the protection of the movementsof trains, engines, or wagons 00- This fact is easily realized by anexamination of the working of the system.

Operation: Normally the signal-levers of the main lines are free. Thekeys S and S are then fast in the locks of these levers. Consequentlythe keys 1, 2, and 1-2 are fast in the central lock, and the result isthat all the appliances controlling the access to the lines I and II arefixed in that position in which they render the said access impossible.Let us suppose, for example, that we wish to move a train shunted on theline III onto the line II. In order to do so, the two keys 1-2 necessaryto set the point-levers and free and to nals of the lines I and II atdanger, if they are not so already. \Ve withdraw the keys in it, and canthen Withdraw the two keys 1-2,

of which we'have need. These keys 1-2 being withdrawn, the keys S and Sare fast in the central look. We carry these two keys 1-2 to the locksof the point-levers and Q). We set these levers free and change theirposition. The position of the levers having been changed,the two keys1'2 are fast in their looks. Consequently so long as the points and G9are in the position that opens the passage from the line III to the line11 the signals of the lines I and II will be neces sarily at danger. Thepassage having taken place,we put the point-levers Q) and back in theirnormal position. We withdraw the keys 1-2 from their locks,thus fixingthelevers in their normal position. We take the keys 1-2 back to thecentral lock, and we take from it the keys S and S which will enable usto set the signal-levers free, and which when this has been effectedwill once more be fast in the locks of the said signal-levers.

' one to the lever, and the other to a fixed object, which fit oneanother in such a manner that when they are joined the lever is fixed;

one of the pieces containing a key which is inseparable from it, and theother being fitted with a lock with two keys, one of these keys beingthat contained in the first piece, and the other key an independent one.

2. An apparatus serving to fix apoint-lever, or a signal-lever, in oneof its positions, and consisting of two metallic pieces, fastened one tothe lever, and the other to a fixed object, which fit one another insuch a manner that when they are joined the lever is fixed; one of thepieces containing a key which is inseparable from it, and the otherbeing fitted with a lock with tWo keys, one of these keys being thatcontained in the first piece, and

' the other key an independent one; the said keys working bolts placedat right angles to one another in the lock, which bolts stop one anothermutually-in such a manner that when one of them is at one end of itsrun, because the corresponding key is withdrawn from the lock,the otherbolt cannot be moved, and, consequently, prevents the key that works itfrom turning in one direction.

3. An apparatus serving to fix a point-lever,

- or a signal-lever, in one of its positions, and

consisting of two metallic pieces, fastened one to the lever, and theother to a fixed object, which fit one another in such a manner thatwhen they are joined the lever is fixed; one of the pieces containing akey which is 4 c imate inseparable from it, and the otherbeing fittedwith a lock with two keys, one of these keys being that contained in thefirst piece, and the other key an independent one; the said keys workingbolts placed at right anglesto one another in the lock, which bolts stopone another mutually in such a manner that when one of them is at oneend of its run because the corresponding key is withdrawn from the lock,the other bolt cannot be moved, and consequently, prevents the key thatworks it from turning in one direction, this key being moreover unableto turn in the other direction in consequence of the existence, in thelock, of a catch against which the key-bitstrikes; so that when one ofthe keys is withdrawn from the lock, the other is necessarily a-prisoner in it.

4. 'An apparatus servingto fix a point-lever, or a signal-lever, in oneof its positions, and consisting of two metallic pieces, fastened one tothe lever, and the other to a fixed object, which fit one another insuch a manner that when they are joined the lever is fixed; one of thepieces containing a key which is inseparable from it, and the otherbeing fit ted with a lock with two keys, one of these keys being thatcontained in the first piece, and the other key an independent one; thesaid keys working bolts placed at right angles to one another in thelock, which bolts stop one another mutually in such a manner that whenone of. them is at one end of its run because the corresponding key iswithdrawn from the lock, the other bolt. cannot be moved,

and consequently, prevents the key that works it from turning in onedirection, this key being moreover unable to turn in the otherdirection, in consequence of the existence, in the lock of a catchagainst which the key-bit strikes; so that when one of the keys iswithdrawn from the lock, the other is necessarily a prisoner in it;whence it results, first that when the independent key is withdrawn fromthe lock, the key contained in one of the pieces is a prisoner in thatlock, which prevents the separation of the two pieces, and second, thatwhen the key contained in one of the pieces is withdrawn from the lock,which allows of the separation of the two pieces, the independent key isa prisoner in the said lock.

5. A look called the central lock admitting a certain number of keys,each of these keys, on being withdrawn from the lock, pushing a boltfitted with catches, and placing this bolt in a position in which eachof the said catches fixes another bolt likewise worked by a key, and,consequently, prevents this last-named key from being withdrawn from thelock, so that when one key is withdrawn from the lock, one or severalothers are necessarily made fast in it.

6. A look called the central lock admitting a certain number of keys,each of these keys having its turning movement limited in one directionby a stop by which its key-bit is stopped and working a bolt which, whenfree to move, allows of the key being turned till it comes face to facewith the opening that corresponds to it, and, consequently, enables itto be withdrawn from the lock; but which,when it is stopped in itsmovement, prevents the keyfroin coining face to face with the openingthat corresponds to it, and, consequently, prevents it from beingwithdrawn from the lock; the bolt worked by each key being fitted withone or several catches which, on the key being withdrawn from the lock,

take and occupy their respective positions against the catches withwhich the bolts worked by other keys are fitted, and, consequently, fixthese bolts, thus preventing these last-named keys from being withdrawnfrom the look; so that, when one key is withdrawn from the lock one orseveral others are necessarily made fast in it.

PAUL BOURFI. Witnesses:

EUGENE DESCHAMPS, EDW'ARD P. MACLEAN.

